Confession: I’ve been called a bag of wind on this site before. I will blow off more at you now if you will take time to read it

For the past 10 weeks I have pleaded for those on this board to brain storm on ways we can attract more 4-5 star athletes to our program. USA Today (10/30/17) now has us ranked at 120 out of 130 teams. With nothing left on our schedule except teams ranked below 100, and each of them are all ranked above us.

We are now ranked at #17 in the bottom 25 teams. The article reads: “If you have ever wondered what a drunk baby would look like when trying to walk, watch the BYU Offense. It just couldn’t be much different.”

In each case, almost, not all, but near all replies were telling me how we can never get 4-5 star players because teams like Alabama, USC, Ohio State etc will get them all.

I have pleaded for those on the board to brain storm on ways we can make changes to allow us to hire the best coaches in the Nation and not just the best available that are LDS and in good standing in the church that are willing to coach for much less money, pay 10% tithing on their, lower to start, pay, and still deal with the honor code and other political controversial issues.

In almost 100%, not all, but almost all replies have told me that this could never happen because it has never happened before. The brethren would never go for it. I am here to tell you that in my 82 years, I have seen many, many, many changes, that nobody would have believed could ever be, back since the 40’s and 50’s that I have been aware of.

With everyone offering reasons why something can not be done, instead of offering suggestions on how something might be changed for the good, I see no hope for positive change to help our Cougars keep up.

I remember when we were always #1, or 2, but never less than the 3rd best in the MWC. Now, only San Jose State is ranked below us. (USA TODAYB10/30/17)

That which we continue to do that use to work, no longer does work.

It has been suggested that we even drop to division 2 so we can win more games. That is not football to me. To give up is the opposite of what football has always been to me. And like you, It is hard for me to change and like you, I do not want to change.

Take the Cougars down with you. I do not want to be a part of those that would be happy to see BYU keep lowering it’s standards in order to win meaningless games that we win only because we keep dropping low enough to find someone we can win. These wining seasons will mean nothing to me. These Bowl games will mean nothing to me if the only way we can achieve is to lower ourselves to the lowest common denominator in order to win, than I want no part of it.

Shame on us fans that don’t won’t to work for wins. Shame on us fans that don’t want to work for bowl games. Shame on us fans that are willing to quit the fight because the fight requires too much effort. Shame on all of us for being
worthless quitters. (me included)

The problem Ron, is is this an anomaly or is this a trend? Is BYU just having a tough year?

Let’s be honest here… 37 players (out of 105) has major injuries. 14 possible 15 players of those injured are on the two deep roster.

So again, I have to ask you “Is this an anomaly or a trend”?

Every team has down years, every team goes through “bad offensives”… it is part of getting an entire new staff…

I think we need to be patient and see where we go… Will Kalani ask for some resignations? Let’s not run off the road right now.

From what I am told, we have some high impact players coming in next year… Let’s see what happens.

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I hope we give everyone (Detmer, Defensive Coordinator, etc.) at least another year. This year might just be a perfect storm of a number of things.

Next year’s schedule is pretty ugly in terms of difficulty. Not much easier than this year!

Patience is a virtue. So is long suffering. Hopefully, BYU is still the Lord’s university;-)

If coaches are always making large changes is their coaching staff every year or two, that is bad. No continuity and players get confused.

Floyd and Rubicon,

I do not disagree with either of you. Nobody can deny that we have a problem that is greater than anything that any of us has witnessed since 1968 and by the end of this season, we may even find that we have a problem greater than anything we have witnessed since the 1950’s.

At the start of the season, Fresno State was considered a lowly (give me game), but now, they are a real threat to making our record far worse than it is now. I see UNLV as a threat now as well. Even lowly UMASS is ranked 8 points above us.
Yes indeed, we do have a real problem.

Having said all of that, our strength and conditioning coaching has left us with a record 37 injuries this season. It has produced wide receivers that fall after catching the ball without being tackled instead of staying on their feet and picking up added yardage. Yes I get it. I agree.

However, I do believe that no fireing needs to take place this season. I think we will have a hard time finding anyone at this time that will be as good as what we now have.

Instead, I believe that instead of firing what we have, we need to bring in high profile consultants to give those coaches that we now have, instruction on how to turn our program around. Peterson of Washington, not long ago, was the HC at Boise State. The TCU coach that coached TCU out of the MWC into the Big 12, and had continiously since that time been ranked, and even with a four game lousing stretch, Kyle Whittingham that until now, has done a great job with the Utes in the Pac 12, could all be a good hire, not as HC, but as consultants.

I think that the fine quality of men that we now have, is worth saving and worth working with and when they get things worked out, will be the best we have had since Lavel; Edwards.

yea, look at Utah … they have had what 6 OC’s in the past 6 years… and they still can’t have an offense. LOL

Floyd,

I totally agree with you. I love our current coaching staff. I do not want to get rid of them. I want to keep them. I want to get them the help they need to turn the program around. I want them to be able to get top notch consultants to help turn the program around. I want to brain storm to find possible ways to get them more naturally talented athletes to compete against the 4-5 star players that we now play against.

When we were in the WAC and when we were in the MWC, using 1,2, and 3 star players were good enough. We just have not realized yet that as an independent, 1,2,3 star players without many or several 4-5 star players, no longer cuts it.
We must do something to help our coaches or we will lose our program.

Ron…

you are making a lot of assumptions… not based on facts.

Every year a team surprises us… Fresno is leading one of the divisions of the MWC… No one saw that coming… then last weekend UNLV came in and beat Fresno on their home turf… shocking… but it happens all the time, Like LSU beating #8 Auburn… It happens…

Lavell Edwards said any team can beat any other team on any given day…

Stop worrying about the rankings, because most of it is made up numbers to try to help the “Experts” explain their theories.

As for our fitness coach, this dude has major credentials in this area, I know Pendelton put out their some negative things on the SC coaches, but he was not in the gym… Think about this… When Kalani was hired he was amazed at just how weak our offensive line was., the could not sustain blocks, and had to be rotated out because they could not play every down. This was all caused by the GFGH scheme Anae implemented into BYU offense. My personal friend who played on the line during the GFGH scheme had to give up football because his body was so battered and bruised he could not play anymore. Since his Junior year he has had 4 surgeries (back and knees) because of the schema he played under. There is a good chance that most of the injuries were due to Anae implementing the GFGH scheme.

You do realize that Kalani talks to coaches such as Andy Reid (KC Chief head Coach) and other high profile coaches right? Kalani has mentioned he has talked to several coaches trying to figure out what the problem is and how to fix it.

I just think we are making a mountain out of a mole hill right now… Let’s wait and see what happens before we decide to break the current hiring structure at BYU.

Ron,
Do me a favor and pick any 5 top college teams in america and go look at their schedule…very few of them play P5 teams at the very beginning of the season and NON of them do it for 5 weeks straight.

Until that time when BYU is in a conference that will never change. It is a fact of life…

I am not sure understand how college coaches work… They have off season coaching clinics where college coaches can talk to their counterparts and pick their brains… BYU sends Kalani other coaches to these clinics every year.

Now add this into your mix… There is only two coaches on the offensive side of the ball (Clark, Cahoon) that has D1 experience before coming to BYU. Detmer, Empey, Mahe had no previous experience. That is a problem… which is why we are where we are.

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Floyd,

I did as you asked. I went a bit further. I checked the schedule of all ranked teams.Only Memphis and Toledo play less than 9 P5 teams in a single season. My guess is that If I checked all P5 teams, there would not be one, that plays less than 9 P5 teams in any given season.

I do not undertand your point in wanting me to check these schedules. I know that our Schedule was brutal and ranked #16 in SOS for the month of September, but we also ranked #120 for the month of October (USA Today-10/30/17).

I understand that from 8/25/17 through 10/21 we played FCS Portland State below the 130 rankings and we won that game and did not win another during that time, playing, LSU, Utah, Wisconsin, Uah St., Boise St., Miss. St…and
E.Carolia while during that same time, ------

ND won all of their games except Ga. (20-19) playing Temple, Ga., Boston College, Mich. St., Miami O., N. Carolina, USC, NC ST., Miami Fl.,Navy, and Stanford.
There easy games were vs. Temple, Miami O, and Navy, while our easy games were vs. FCS Portland State, and a bunch of teams ranked below 100, i.e. Utah St. that beat us., East Carolina that beat us, San Jose St, which we beat, Fresno St that is projected to beat us, UNLV that is projected to be a PICK, and UMASS and Hwaii which are also ranked above us.
Those were our easy games.

While I don’t understand your point, my point is that we need help to right the ship. I do not want to change coaches. In stead I want to get them the help they need to right the ship. I want extra, beyond the summer camp which you mention, I want special one on one consultants and I want to find a way to get more 4-5 star players to play vs the 4-5 star players we play against as an Independent. (Like LSU. Wisconsin, Utah, Miss.St.

Floyd,

Much of what you say I agree with while other things, I just grin.
"I just think we are making a mountain out of a mole hill right now… "

Going into 10th game of the season having won only a FCS team, Portland State below 130 ranking and San Jose St, ranked #127 out of 130 teams and having lost to all others including two teams ranked below 100 is much more than a mole hill especially since it is the worst we have done since 1968. This is not an assumption. This is a fact.

"Lavell Edwards said any team can beat any other team on any given day…

Awe yes, nobody will ever forget our back to back wins vs. Texas, our win vs. #3 Oklahoma, our 59-0 victory over UCLA, Awe yes, I remember it well.

" Stop worrying about the rankings, because most of it is made up numbers "

Really??? We started around 48 and ended at #120, while Fresno St started around 120, and ended at 48, and I guess this has nothing to do with how well Fresno St has played and how poorly we have played? Smile.

" As for our fitness coach, this dude has major credentials in this area, "
Is it normal for a team to have 37 injuriess in a season that keeps a player from playing? Is it normal for a wide receiver to fall each time he catches the ball without being tackled? Is this all just coincidence?

" GFGH scheme had to give up football because his body was so battered and bruised he could not play anymore. "
Awe, we agree here. I didn’t like it either.

" You do realize that Kalani talks to coaches such as Andy Reid (KC Chief head Coach) and other high profile coaches right? "

yes I do realize it and that group includes Steve Young. Still, obviously, more help is needed.

Floyd, If you re-read, not one, but all of my posting, I am a strong supporter of our coaching staff. I love all of them. I want help for them. I do not want to get rid of them. I want to get hands on help and not just casual talk for our coaches. I want them to succeed. I want to keep them. That does not mean that they are not in need of a lot of help at this time.

Ron,
Again… You are only looking at this year… you need to back up and look overall…

Point 1. Yes, we are 2-7 and beat two of the worse teams in Football…
Point 2. Yes, we have one of the most inexperienced offensive coaching staff in College Football. Which means we lost games because those on the other side of the field had 10-30 years experience to beat us.
Point 3. Bronco Mendenhall HATED star athletes and really never recruited them. The team that Kalani inherited was not that good (especially on the offensive line). IT TAKES TIME to rebuild the team with the players that will impact the game.
Point 4. Yes, Injuries are part of the game, you blame the Strength and Conditioning staff. with no real basis of fact. The fact that most of these players were not in the best shape should tell you that maybe Bronco administration is to blame, not the S&C coaches

I think you are a little over the top with your worrying about BYU football. Think about Bronco timing with him leaving… Don’t you think it is a bit odd that he left right before BYU took a nose dive?

It usually takes about 5 years to determine if a coach has succeeded. This is Kalani second year… I think we need to take a deep breath and see what happens.

The point of the schedule was to see if the other teams played 5 top level P5 teams in the first 5 weeks of the season.

They don’t play that brutal of a schedule.

We agree!!!

Floyd, last night Utah killed UCLA something like 43 - 17. I don’t remember the exact score.

UCLA is down to their 3rd string redshirt QB. He came in and played pretty well. But UCLA is hurting too.